Lake Kamo

Lake Kamo is a brackish lagoon on Sado Island, off the coast of Niigata Prefecture in the Sea of Japan, separated from Ryotsu Bay by a thin band of port town. It is a working waterscape rather than a resort: oyster rafts checker the surface, and herons stalk the reedy edges.

Winter brings the oyster harvest ashore to local kitchens, where the lake's crop headlines set menus and market stalls. The Osado mountains rise behind the far shore, which makes the lakeside path a rewarding sunset walk, and the ferry port of Ryotsu sits within strolling distance of the water.

Most travelers meet the lake in passing, right off the Niigata ferry, and pausing for a night puts you close to the island's main harbor before you strike out for Sado's gold mine and taiko villages. Cyclists circle the shore easily, and calm mornings mirror the mountains.